


The Spectral Unicorn Whisperer (Deluxe Edition)

by Robosquid



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Horse Jokes, Horse movie, Horses, Other, ghost - Freeform, ghost horses, the adventure zone - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 00:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14032602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robosquid/pseuds/Robosquid
Summary: Taako's life is rather hard being the son of a woodcarver who longs for the thrill of a horse jockey. Taako's love of horses though is only rivaled by his love of the perfect unicorn. But his father Magnus believes that Horses are of the devil.  With the help of his imaginary Friend Lup, (who may not be so imaginary after all) Taako takes life into his own hands and follows the story of the Spectral Unicorn that shows on the full moon.Will Magnus ever get over his fear of horses?Will Taako learn to finally be himself?Why is Lup always around Taako and why can't anyone see her?Find out all this and more in THE ADVENTURE ZONE: HORSE





	The Spectral Unicorn Whisperer (Deluxe Edition)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey this is my first time writing fanfiction, especially for the adventure zone. I hope I can get things right

In the beginning there was nothing. Most people hated this and all unanimously agree that beginning with nothing is a bad idea. And then what we can only imagine is god said, “Wow, all this nothingness is pretty lame. I’m going to create something.” And that’s how horses were made. You see, horse’s were the first thing god ever created because they are perfect and wonderful. 

 

Someone else looked at that horse that god created and grinned. They looked god straight in the eyes and said, “Yo homeslice, I’m gonna make this about 200% hornier” and thus the unicorn was made!

 

The ruffian who insulted god’s creation did a backflip onto the unicorn and flipped god off and then ran off into the woods to do dope shit like ride with their hair flowing in the wind and do cool things like magic and fancy flips. 

 

Magnus and Julia Burnsides stared incredulously at their son.  They sat on the couch in the living room of their small carpentry shop. Magnus turned to his wife Julia and whispered something in her ear. Taako couldn’t hear them but he was sure that it was nothing but good things. He had worked tirelessly for hours on the wooden diorama of the creation of the unicorn, a magical creature that was totally NOT fake. 

  
  
  


“Taako,” Magnus looked down at their son, Their eyes brimming with an emotion he couldn’t quite read.

 

Taako balled his hands up into fists and a smile grew on his face, they loved it! It was clear as day! 

 

“The uhhh… Craftsmanship is very good. The moving parts are all fantastic and I’m not even sure how you got such accurate detail on the uh…” Julia rammed an elbow into her husband’s side, “On the bird.” 

 

Taako nodded, looking at his two parents, “Yes yes, It took me a whole hour to get it just right. I used up a ton of wood just to get that done,” Taako pushed a button on the side of the wooden diorama and the pointy eared man riding the unicorn pushed it’s finger out again. Julia winced. 

 

Taako looked back up at them, his focus clear, “but how is the story? Do you like it? Does it whisk you off away into a magical world of fantasy and  _ delights?” _

 

Magnus gulped, “The story is a bit rough son. And I wish there were good parts in it but sadly-” a sharp elbow jammed into the father’s side again and Julia spoke up. 

 

“What your father means dear, is that maybe storytelling just isn’t your strong suit.”

 

Taako cocked his head, his smile fading from his face, “Oh no, I didn’t make any of it up! It’s all true! The man at the horse ranch told me so!”

 

Magnus stared in confusion at their son and then put a hand up towards his face. “What- Oh heavens, Is Old Man Merle filling your heads with stories again? I told him to stay away from you while you’re working. That Merle and his no good fantasies will do you nothing but trouble taako,”

 

Taako’s face fell. He was sure that they would have understoof but once again his hopes and dreams were dashed to the rocks. When he had first heard the story of the Spectral Unicorn years ago, Taako had gotten excited. Over the years he just couldn’t keep it contained anymore. Yet once again his father came to crush his dreams. Just like when he had wanted to be a horseback rider, or a farmer.

 

He looked back into his father’s eyes as he finished telling him to stay away from Fungston Ranch. 

 

“I-I’m sorry for wasting your time Father. I’ll focus on my woodworking then.” Taako looked down, refusing to make eye contact as he picked up the wooden diorama and started to bring it out of the room. 

 

A warm smile came over magnus’s face, “Attaboy! Soon you’ll be just as good as your old man here!” Magnus got up and ruffled a hand through his son’s hair as Taako trudged back up to his room. 

 

***

Taako’s smooth hands shone with a soft purple glow at they carved the air dried persimmon wood into shape, “I just don’t get it lup. I told the Story exactly how Old Man Merle did. Why didn’t they love it like I did?” 

 

The spectral figure’s soft white glow illuminated the room around Taako, filling it with light. The ghost glided through the air towards the object that he had been carving. Probably another unicorn, she thought. Her eyes glided over towards the hand carved cherry oak bookshelves that Taako himself had made. However instead of books, tiny 4 legged creatures dotted the shelves. All of different colors and different hues. “Imperfect,” Taako had called them. “They aren’t capturing that vision I see in my dreams.”

 

She looked back over to the small walnut table Taako had made about three years back. On it sat the diorama that He had made. only it lay in pieces, destroyed by his own hands.

 

Lup looked back towards the persimmon Taako was shaping at that moment, “They’re different then you are. Haven’t you noticed?”

 

“Yeah Lup. Of course I’ve noticed that my dad has literally no appreciation for the fine arts. He wouldn’t know genius if it walked up to him and cut his arm off.” The wood Taako was working on shed it’s old layers, shaping firm strong legs with hooves at the bottom, “I just wish, ya’know. That he would at least try. That he would at least try to get interested in the things I am. Maybe I don’t want to be a carpenter like he is. Maybe I don’t want to shit out chairs to every ham and egger with a gold coin to spare.” 

 

Lup gave a small laugh and swirled around towards the window. the full moon glistening through it and casting an ethereal light on the two in the attic. “You know it’s a full moon out tonight. Remember what Old Man Merle said?”

 

Taako had visited Fungston ranch earlier that day to try and get more references for his work and to appreciate the sheer perfection that was the horse. Those perfectly sculpted legs. That glorious mane and tail. To the way they pulled. Taako yearned to be able to ride one himself, but his dad had always refused. Saying it was dangerous and that horses were “To be Feared, not ridden.” 

 

“Horse’s are of the Devil,” Magnus had stubbornly spat out.

 

Taako had scoffed at him, seeing the truth of the matter in those perfect maple brown fur coats. “What’s there to be scared of? It’s not like they’re hiding a second set of teeth up there.” 

He remembered his dad frowning, “If God had meant for us to ride the horse, he would have made them bout 3 times smaller.”

 

“That exists and it’s called a riding pony. They were specifically bred for shows though and are quite pretty when done right!” 

 

“That’s ridiculous! No God-Fearing son o mine would be caught dead riding one of satan’s beasts.” 

 

The argument had continued like that for another 30 minutes with Taako doing nothing but spouting facts about horses while his father kept insisting that they were of the devil. 

 

“Something about the full moon being the perfect time for spectres to appear?” Taako looked up from sculpting the tail onto his 322nd attempt at making the perfect wooden horse. 

 

Lup looked back over towards Taako and smiled as her form billowed in the light and feet started to appear, “No you dumbass. The Spectral Unicorn.”

 

Taako thought back to earlier that day before he had gotten distracted by his father’s irrational fear of horses. 

 

What was he doing? Right. Blah blah, more references, sweet perfection. Ah yes. Old Man Merle had hobbled over on his wooden cane while he drew more references. 

 

“Such beautiful creatures aren’t they?” 

 

Taako hadn’t responded. When the craft was in motion, he could not be shook of devotion. 

He finished the drawing and then jumped as he noticed Old Man Merle there, “Oh shit, How long have you been there?”

 

Merle winked at him and looked back down at Taako’s drawing and back up at his horses, “You know, None of them out there are unicorns. Why draw horns on them if you want references for your woodwork?” 

 

Taako rolled his eyes, “Because Unicorns are perfect. A horse alone is near perfection, but after the touch of godhood comes on them they ascend to a perfect form. The horn is a weapon and a healing tool. A giver of life and a dealer of death. It’s the antithesis of the idea of a horse ruled by man. A unicorn is it’s own. It belongs to itself. The horn is a symbol of freedom.”

 

Merle nodded and he moved to sit down as his old body creaked with the sound of old fragile joints, “Have you ever seen one?” a sly smile grew on his face as he leaned towards Taako.

 

“No. Someday though. One day I’ll find one. Ain’t that right Lup?” He turned towards the transparent figure next to him. Despite the fact that nobody else could see her, he felt the need to acknowledge her presence as much as he could. She may be just an imaginary friend that had been there since as long as he could remember, but he wasn’t going to let her disappear forever. Lup nodded back at Taako though she could hardly be seen as the midday sun’s bright rays made her semi transparent and reflected off of Taako’s Lucky umbrella pin.

 

Merle smiled. The boy’s creativity making him yeah for the days of his youth. He wished he had the imaginative mind of youth that Taako so well embodied. With a big smile he turned out towards the horses, “They say that on a full moon, a shimmering translucent unicorn known only as the Spectral Unicorn dances out in the lake at the center of the forest. And that if you can give it a question it can’t answer, it’ll grant you a wish.” 

 

Taako scoffed, his father had said that Old Man Merle was a little loose in the head. That in his old age his mind had been wandering, “Please, I’ve been through every inch of that forest, there’s no lake in the middle of it at all. Only a clearing. You're not going to fool me again  with that story Old Man” 

 

Merle gave a big heart laugh and shook his head, “The reason he only shows on a full moon is because the Full Moon Lake shows as well. It’s a legendary lake said to grant the drinker eternal life.” 

 

Taako stared at Merle, “That seems a little convenient don’t you think. A unicorn that only shows on a full moon and a lake that does the same. It sounds like some sort of shitty b plot from the active imagination of someone who refuses to grow up.”

Merle raised an eyebrow at the boy, “That’s uh, oddly specific.”

 

The memory ended and  he looked back at Lup, “Yeah, what of it?” 

 

“Well don’t you think we ought to investigate it? See if it’s true? I’m pretty sure we both know the clearing that he’d referring to.”

Taako looked back down at the horse he was working on and continued carving, “Yeah but Dad would kill me if he knew I snuck out. I’m already grounded due to that stupid argument we had earlier about horse’s being ‘Satan’s Pack mule.’ Besides. I’m almost done with this unicorn” 

“Come on babe, where’s your sense of adventure?” she glided up closer to him, laying a hand on his shoulder, “Your sense of magic! What if it isn’t just a myth. What if it isn’t just a tall tale?” 

 

Taako moved the hand off his shoulder and shrugged, “Tell you what. I’ll finish this horse and then we’ll go out and see if this spectral unicorn actually exists.” 

 

“ _Taaaaaaaakkkkooooo please_ ,” Lup pouted and tears welled up around her eyes. 

“Fine. Fine, But only because I hate to see you cry. And because this unicorn is turning out to be garbage. Again.”

 

“Hell yeah! Pack up your lucky umbrella pin, and grab your adventuring kit! We’re going exploring!” the feet on lup’s incorporeal body finished forming and she dashed out the window, with Taako soon following after.


End file.
